War Maid-en
by TheRealEvanSG
Summary: SPOILER WARNING! When Eve wakes up in Enbarr and is suddenly taken in as the maid to the heir of the throne, she really only has one option - do what she can to ensure the least amount of deaths in Fodlan as possible. She just wishes that Fodlan had therapists. Three Houses SI, Rated T for now but rating will increase in time.
1. Arrival in Enbarr

**A/N:** I'm keeping this Rated-T at first, but fair warning; lemons will be in later chapters, and it WILL be raised to Rated-M.

**War Maid-en - Chapter 1**

**Arrival in Enbarr**

Eve Gamble woke up to a bustling medieval city in midday, with the sun casting its warm light upon her pale face, among a street filled where armored knights rode on horseback or simply walked, and pedestrians in old age-style clothing chatted amiably with each other. And a splitting headache.

"_Owwww_," the brunette whined, rubbing her head as she sat up and winced. "What the hell am I doing outside…? What the hell am I doing on the ground…? Why the hell does my head hurt?"

And why did everything look so, uh, medieval?

She looked around blearily, still half-groggy from her slumber. Her hazel eyes blinked weakly as she slowly sat up. This definitely didn't seem like her dumb old Ohioan town. She knew it pretty well, and she knew for a fact that this majestic, chiseled architecture filled with pillars and arches and very square-cut walls, plus an ornately carved stone road, was nothing like anything from back home. Neither was what appeared to be the centerpiece of the city square; a raised, almost gazebo-esque structure comprised of four staircases leading up to it (one on each side). Colorful banners hung from the stone beams that made up the square structure itself, and surrounding it was a lawn of lush, green grass.

"Hey, are you okay?" a concerned, smooth feminine voice called out.

Eve groaned as her head rang internally as a result of the voice. God, was this what a hangover felt like? She'd read about hangovers before and she was pretty sure this was what a hangover felt like. Especially since she was rather concerned she was going to throw up. Her chest felt heavy, too. Weird. _That_ didn't seem like a hangover—

A gentle hand set itself on her left shoulder. "Hey, can you hear me? You fell pretty far, it's incredible you're still even moving. And you fell on stone, too…"

Eve groaned painfully and batted the hand away. "I'm fine, I'm fine, I just have a… _splitting_ headache…" she mumbled, dragging her hand down her face… Was it her imagination or did her voice seem higher? "I think I also might be hallucinating… I've never seen this place before…"

There was a pause and a sigh, and Eve looked over her shoulder to see a young woman in what looked like royal clothing—gaudy robes and a cloak—and who had the most beautiful white hair Eve had ever seen. It didn't look like a wig or like she'd gotten it colored, either; it somehow seemed completely natural. She had a heart-shaped face and purple eyes, and held herself regally. Next to her and a short distance behind her, a black-haired young man who looked a bit older than her, glared at Eve. He had a broody face, with several frown wrinkles already. His clothing was rather dark, and not quite as regal as the girl's.

"You've never seen this place before?" the woman questioned. "You fell out of a strange-looking, glowing hole that opened up in the sky. Do you not even know where you are?"

Eve winced as her head rang, then stared when the words registered. "I… what? Can you repeat?"

The young man, who looked no less than one or two years older than Eve herself, rolled his eyes and frowned at the white-haired girl dressed like some sort of princess. "Lady Edelgard, it really is best not to involve yourself in this! You don't know what abilities she might have. I've come across stories about similar incidents in our past, and if I'm not mistaken, she's an Other Worlder!"

Eve stared groggily. She…? Wait… how did he know—? Hold on, did he just say—!?

The girl—Lady Edelgard? No, it couldn't have been, she must've misheard—turned to give him an interested look. "An Other Worlder, Hubert? Is that so… well, then that's all the more reason to help her out. She might be able to give us some assistance."

Dizzily, Eve teetered back and forth. Lady Edelgard… Hubert… the knights, the whole medieval feeling of the clothing and city…

"Uh, I think I've had too much to drink," Eve croaked. "Good night."

"Too much to…" Impossible-To-Be-Actual-Edelgard repeated with a raised eyebrow and a bit of a scrunched face. "But you can't be any older than us, fifteen—! And it's the middle of the day—!"

It was too late. Eve had already fallen straight on her back, passed out again.

~o~

Eve Gamble woke up to a ridiculously soft pillow and queen-sized bed. Her eyes were only partially opened, and she sank back into the covers, groaning. Her head didn't hurt, but she DID feel… well, just odd.

At least she wasn't on the streets of a city and was in bed, like she should've been. Lovely, it was a dream just like she'd hoped. She gave a much more relaxed sigh than the previous one she'd given and tried to drift back asleep.

"Oh, you're awake," came the voice of Lady Edelgard.

_I must have forgotten to shut my Switch off last night after playing Three Houses, _Eve reasoned to herself. _It must be playing dialogue. Yes, yes, that's what's happening._

"I do hope you're feeling better. You seemed really out of it when we found you in the middle of the city."

_Just… just a coincidence. Yep. A total coincidence._

"Hey, can you still hear me? You should be fine… the white mages said that any injuries you sustained should be healed."

Shit.

Eve groaned and sat up. "I can hear you just fine," she mumbled, stretching. "And I'm not hurting anywhere anymore either." She curled up. "I just… didn't want to believe that this was actually happening. I went to sleep in my bed… and the next thing I knew, you guys had found me there in the city. I convinced myself it was all a dream, or that I'd gotten drunk somehow or something."

Despite the fact that she'd never had a drop of beer in her life, of course.

Edelgard's calculating eyes softened. "I see. Can you tell me the name of your home? We might be able to send you back unless… you're an Other Worlder."

"…An Other Worlder being someone from another world?" Eve said weakly, already knowing the answer. It seemed so impossible. She had to still be dreaming. "That's impossible… I live in the state of Ohio, in a country called the United States."

Edelgard furrowed her brow. "Oh-hai-hoh? What an odd name… I've never heard it or the country you speak of before, and I know the map of Fodland and it's surrounding territories and kingdoms very well." Her gaze softened. "It seems you must be from another world indeed…" eyes raised in surprise. "Yet despite this, you still speak our language fluently… how odd. Well, I guess it's better this way; at least we can understand each other."

The door burst open and a very annoyed looking Hubert stormed in, frowning deeply at the princess of the Empire. "Lady Edelgard," he chided in a low, disappointed voice, "I must insist that you do not visit complete strangers whom we do not know the allegiance, or origins, or abilities, of unattended."

"Hubert, I understand, but she has already told me that she's from a country I've never heard of before."

"My planet is called Earth," Eve added, then wondered why the heck she did that.

Edelgard blinked then shrugged. "See?"

Hubert _looked_ at her. "You do not even know her name."

The future conqueror of much of Fodlan gave me a soft smile. "What's your name?" Edelgard asked. Meanwhile, Eve was going pale; she'd just realized she was in the presence of someone who would cause the death of untold numbers of people. What should she do!?

Taken aback by the sudden question and, a much more nervous Eve stammered out, "U-Uh, Eve. Eve Gamble."

"Eve, hm?" Edelgard seemed pleased. "That's a nice name. It's cute."

"You… don't find it weird I have a girl's name?"

Edelgard blinked. "Uh, no, why should I?"

Eve's mouth opened and shut, then did so again. "…Well… because I'm, uh…" Her eyes happened to glance down her body… and she saw breasts pressing against her shirt. Her eyes widened and she cupped her crotch, freezing as she feels it. She had… a female body? A multitude of emotions hit her at once, and she bit her lip, which quivered.

Meanwhile, Edelgard was blushing madly. "H-Hey, what are you doing!?" she demanded, pointedly not looking at Eve, who suddenly realized how it must look.

"U-Uh, sorry, I just…" She gave a sad smile and hugged her own body. "Even though I always wanted to be and identified as a girl, before I came here I had a male body. It's… I was just really surprised to have this body."

Hubert blinked. "…Well," he said, frowning. "Now _that's_ unexpected. I do not recall hearing about anyone switching sexes upon traversing worlds." He glared at Eve, who eeped and hid as much as she could under the covers. _Scary._ "You are not lying to Her Majesty, _are you?_"

The empress-to-be frowned at him. "_Hubert_, you're scaring her."

"Good," was his icy, and somewhat sarcastic, reply. "That _was_ the intention."

Eve shivered. She could kinda understand why, in their C-Rank Support clip, Bernie fainted in front of Hubert. "No, I'm not lying! Why would I lie about this!?"

Hubert _stared _at her for a moment, and she imagined flares coming from his eyes. "…I suppose it does make sense why you seemed so confused about us using female pronouns for you," he admitted with a relenting sigh. "_Fine_. I shall believe your story for the time being. However, I shall _carefully_ watch your interactions with Lady Edelgard, and if I see you making any sort of move to harm her, your blood _will_ be on my hands. And I will. Not. Feel. A. Thing."

Edelgard frowned at him. "_Hubert._"

Scrunching further underneath the covers, Eve paled so badly she wondered if her face would ever have any color left in it whatsoever or if she'd be albino for the rest of her life. "It won't come to that, I promise!" she squeaked.

He studied her for a moment more. "See to it that it doesn't," he growled, before walking purposefully back out. Eve watched him go, sweating.

"W-What was that about?" Eve gulped as she emerged from the sheets, looking at Edelgard nervously.

She sighed. "Well, I suggested that if you were an Other Worlder, which you are, obviously, you could stay with us here at the palace since you have no other place to go. My uncle didn't like it at first until I suggested you'd be my maid. That he relented on."

"So… I can stay here… as your maid?" Eve hesitantly concluded.

A soft smile graced the future empress's lips. "Yes, if you would like to, of course. You are under no obligation to stay by my side if you do not wish to do so. If you choose to go elsewhere, I can provide you with a map of this continent, Fόdlan, some advice on where to go, and I will even provide you with some funds."

"That's…" the Other Worlder clenched the bedsheets, biting her lip. "That's too much. Why would you do so much for me when we've just met?"

"Because as the future ruler of the empire you are currently in, I must strive to help those in need," Edelgard said gently. "You came here under no will of your own, correct? I can hardly look by and let you wallow on the streets when you had no say in the matter."

Was she blushing? Eve felt pretty sure that heat on her cheeks was a blush. God – er, Goddess? – why did Edie have to be so beautiful when she smiled. "U-Um, thank you, but can you, er, give me some time to think about it?" As beautiful as Edelgard might be, she was still… you know… the woman who would wage war on the entire world and (possibly) get many of her old classmates killed.

…Because she believed Sothis to be the one who created the creststones and Hero's Relics.

Could something be changed if Edie knew the truth…?

"Of course," the princess said with a nod. "It would be unreasonable to assume you'd be ready to make your decision so soon. Please, take the time to adjust. You must really miss your home. Now please excuse me; I must return to my duties as the princess of the Empire. I will send someone to check on you and make sure you're alright, though I won't have much time to do so myself. And there are some clothes for you in the closet to your right, as well as make-up on the desk with the mirror. Dinner is at seven; it is currently five o'clock now. I will send a maid to come and make sure you're ready, but try to make sure you look nice before then."

"Okay, um, thanks."

She smiled at Eve one last time before getting up and heading out. She walked purposefully and closed the door gently behind her, leaving the Other Worlder alone with nothing but her thoughts and worries about the future to keep her company.


	2. How to Serve a Princess

**War Maid-en - Chapter 2**

**How to Serve a Princess**

Before arriving in Enbarr, Eve Gamble had been a member of the middle-class. Her father a prosecuting attorney and her mother an employee of a women's center, she'd had a fairly comfortable life. Things had started looking a little dicey for a while before her unplanned sojourn, due to some tensions between her mother and father leading to them filing for divorce, but she had never experienced poverty. On the flip side, she'd never really experienced the high-life, either, having to work two jobs each summer and at least one during the fall-winter-spring seasons in order to pay off her college.

Therefore, living in any place as oozing with wealth as a palace was definitely new for the rather overwhelmed girl. Her head spun as the other maids walked her around the palace, teaching her what needed to be done.

It was a few days after she'd been unceremoniously dropped into the city during her sleep. No one had come any closer to finding out WHY she'd crossed over, and it seemed as though no one in Fόdlan had ever found out how to send people back. So she decided to stay as Edelgard's maid. Now she was being trained for her job, which earned her a surprisingly generous paycheck considering she was on the payroll of someone as shitty as Edelgard's uncle. Disgusting asshole that he was, at least he paid well.

Most of Eve's duties involved waiting on and taking care of Edelgard. This included taking care of her room, washing, folding, and organizing her clothes, and fetching any documents or other such things she needed for her studies and research. In two years, Edelgard would be joining the Officer's Academy, and she had a _lot_ of studying to do in order to attend.

When she was not cleaning (something Edelgard herself actually helped out with), Lord Volkhard von Arundel—Edelgard's aforementioned asshole uncle—required her to train in combat and to study for entering the Officer's Academy herself. After all, part of her duties would entail protecting the girl, and as the princess's personal maid, she would need to be by her side even at school.

Basically, Eve now had a very, very busy life.

The sound of training swords smacking against each other filled the palace's training grounds as the knight assigned to train Eve wrecked her shit. Hubert watched with a _very_ unimpressed frown from a bench leaned up against the wall.

"Have you never held a weapon before in your life?" he said at last when the knight succeeded in disarming her for the hundredth time that evening and pointed his wooden blade at her throat. "Your technique is among the clumsiest I have ever seen and your stance is horrid."

Eve collapsed on the floor, landing on her soft tush as sweat caked her face, which was flushed from exertion. "Is it that obvious?" she groaned, sore all over. "I never had to fight anyone back home and never felt the need to practice, so no, to answer your question, I haven't." If her voice raised with a _high_ degree of sarcasm, well, that was because of how exhausted and weary she felt. Eve was the type to get crabby when tired.

The knight offered a hand out to her, smiling gently. "Well, that's what I'm here for! I'll train you up nice and well so you can protect milady."

Eve's eye twitched while she tried to breathe deeply to calm her far-too-quickly beating heart. "Yeah, by beating me up until I'm bruised from head to toe," she grumbled. When she felt good enough, she accepted his hand and let him pull her up.

"Your stance needs work," Hubert informed her curtly. Eve imagined his sheer distaste could curdle milk. "_Mountains_ of work. If you do not fix it to make yourself less wobbly, your opponent will quickly overpower you and gain the advantage. If you allow your poor footwork to stop you from protecting Lady Edelgard, I will have your head."

"Gee, thanks, Sherlock," Eve muttered. As if she hadn't known how much her legs shook with every blow against her training sword. And just because she couldn't help it, she muttered, "If I brewed her the wrong type of _tea_, you'd have my head."

Hubert just folded his arms. "And?"

The poor knight training Eve just sighed. "Okay, Eve, let's get back to it. Ignore Hubert, he just likes threatening people." Lowering his voice, he added, "If you ask me, I think he gets off on it or something."

Eve let out something half-way between a choke and a laugh. If Hubert heard the line, he didn't confirm or deny it.

After the knight finished thoroughly beating the shit out of Eve in the name of training, she spent the next half-hour bathing to relax her sore muscles and skin. They had lunch, and then afterwards Eve spent an hour or two running errands for Her Majesty. The rest of the evening went towards studying for the Officer's Academy, and she also brought a cup of warm tea for Edelgard at bedtime, which Hubert confirmed prior was correctly made—perhaps out of spite.

Eve, nervous because she'd never made tea very much before due to not enjoying it herself, let out a little sigh of relief when, after sipping it, Edelgard gave her a small, warm smile that made her heart flutter a little.

_Cute._

Eve's days fell into a steady rhythm of all of this. She knew that despite her kindness towards her, Edelgard probably didn't trust her; it was just in her character. And Hubert definitely didn't. But Edelgard at least seemed to be warming up to her. She would give more of those cute smiles more often as days turned into weeks.

On the 22nd day of the Garland Moon, year 1178—slightly over two full months after Eve arrived in Enbarr—raised voices woke her.

"…_it's my bir… want to see…!"_

"_You will not… alace!"_

The sound of distant doors slamming made Eve wince a little. That had sounded like Edelgard and her uncle screaming at each other. It was unlike Edelgard to shout like that at all, much less be so emotional. What was…? Eve's eyes widened and she quickly got out of bed, moving to a calendar that she had hung on the wall in her room. Her eyes fell on the date and note written there: _Edelgard's fifteenth birthday._

Outside, swiftly and angrily moving steps echoed past her door, and Eve stared at it, chewing on her lip and wondering what to do. After a moment's decision, she quickly changed into her maid outfit, scurried to her closet and grabbed the present she'd bought for Edelgard a week ago, and left, hurrying to Edelgard's bedroom which was just down the corridor. She knocked lightly on the door.

"Go _away_, uncle!" Edelgard cursed.

Eve's eyes softened. Despite being the future murderer of countless people in the name of unification, right now, Her Majesty was just an upset girl in need of a friend. "It's me," she said softly. "Eve. May I come in?"

There was a short pause. "You may," Edelgard responded quietly from the other side of the door, voice gentler.

She grasped the door handle and opened it, aware of Hubert's gaze on her as he left his quarters and came down the hall, probably for the same reason she had. Eve held up a finger, requesting a moment alone with her; Hubert hesitated, studying her _intensely_, but relented, maybe in part because he saw the box Eve carried containing the present. She smiled in thanks and stepped inside Edelgard's room.

Spacious and lavish, it sported an intricate yellow diamond-pattern carpet with a rich red filling the spaces. A four-poster bed rested against the wall, with Edelgard sitting on the edge. She was shaking a little, hands clenched into fists that gripped her red leggings. Eve sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her gently. "I hope you don't mind that I do this," she murmured softly.

"…You're warm," Eve just barely heard Edelgard mutter, bringing a little pink to her cheeks. The royal looked at her and shook her head. "You're fine, Eve," she spoke up, louder this time. "Thank you… I guess you heard all that, huh?"

"…Only the tail end of it," Eve admitted. "What happened?"

She gave a weak sigh. "My uncle claims it's too dangerous for me to go out on my birthday. I wanted to watch the Mittelfrank Opera, having heard of their talent, and then spend some time in the city park, but he wouldn't allow me to leave the palace. In reality, there has been no threat to my life _anytime_ I've left the capital. He's using this to try and control me."

Disgust rose in Eve and she glared at the wall. "That _bastard_," she spat.

Edelgard stared at her a little. "I've never heard you so angry before."

"Yeah, well, I hate pricks who think women are theirs to control," Eve growled. "Back in my home, we had secured a lot of women's rights, but there were still people trying to say that women should just shut up and let men control the world and stuff. It's just human nature to be shitty sometimes, especially when you're in a position of power. We have a saying where I'm from; power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

"…It sounds like there are at least some wise people in your world, then," she murmurs, leaning ever so slightly into Eve's shoulder.

Eve smiled and held up her present box. It was wrapped in red-and-white striped paper, and had four little black eagles Eve had drawn cut out from another sheet of paper and glued to the side. Unfortunately, the Other Wordler's art, being not very good at all, needed a lot of improvement and the eagles looked rather clumsy.

A smile spread across Edelgard's face nonetheless. "Is this for me?" she asked, slowly accepting the box and holding it in her hands.

Eve nodded. "It's for your birthday. Happy birthday, Edelgard."

"How did you know…?" Edelgard trailed off. The maid understood her confusion. The princess had not said anything about her birthday being today. Eve just smiled brightly.

"I asked the other servants," she replied softly. She wasn't lying; she'd had to ask them because she could never remember characters' birthdays. "Go on, open it up."

"Only Hubert has ever gotten me a birthday present before…" she murmured. "Hubert, my mother, and Dimitri…" Slowly, she unwrapped the box, revealing a dull maroon box inside, and opened it up. Sitting inside the box was an inexpensive but still pretty silver necklace, with a design of a flying eagle hanging on the chain. It had been cheap enough that Eve bought it with her own money she'd earned on a free day. Another smile spread up Edelgard's lips. "Thank you, Eve." She reached in to the box and took the necklace out, wearing it with a contented smile. "It's very beautiful."

"It's your birthday," Eve said with a shake of her head, blushing. "No thanks are necessary for receiving a birthday present."

Her Majesty was silent for a while. Then, softly, she asked, "Eve, when I inherit the throne… I have a path I must walk. When I walk it, can you keep me from being corrupted by power?"

Eve froze. This could be very dangerous—it may mean that she might not be able to convince Edelgard to stop her plans at all. But if she couldn't do so… then… at the very least, perhaps she could stop some of Edelgard's killing. And maybe… just maybe she could be there to provide the woman at least some ease of mind.

"I will," she told Edelgard. "Isn't it in my job description to be by your side regardless?"

The happiness evident on Edelgard's smile was warm enough that Eve's heart skipped a beat. "Thank you, Eve," she said sincerely. "It is reassuring to know that I can trust you to be there for me."

Eve's blush deepened a little. "You're welcome, Lady Edelgard," she said. She grinned at the door. "Now I should probably get going. They'll want me down at the training grounds soon, and Hubert is outside, probably imagining all the ways he'll kill me if I spend too much time with you alone."

Edelgard giggled a little. "He talks a tough game, but he's not _that _bad," she chuckled.

Eve's grin widened. "I'll see you in a bit, Edelgard."

As Eve left the room, the princess gave her a beautiful smile a finger touching the eagle necklace—a clear symbol of the House they would be in when they would enroll in the Officer's Academy. It really was quite thoughtful. And though Edelgard had never been one for jewelry, she thought it beautiful.

It quickly became a common piece of every outfit she wore.


	3. A Path to True Peace

**A/N: **Reviews are greatly appreciated! Also, warning: huge late-game spoilers ahead, so read at your own risk!

**War Maid-en – Chapter 3**

**A Path to True Peace**

After Edelgard's birthday, she became closer with Eve. The two spent more time together, and she'd come down to watch the brunette's training, which was transitioning from mere swordplay to the basics of magic. Eve, it seemed, had trouble wielding magic properly; after all, it was something entirely foreign to her, as she divulged to Edelgard one night while discussing her home world. This was something they had taken to doing both because it interested Edelgard and it seemed to help Eve miss it less.

"Your world really doesn't have any magic at all?" Edelgard repeated in disbelief, furrowing her brow as she tried to imagine a universe like that.

Eve shook her head. "Nope." She shrugged and sipped some of the tea that she'd made for them. "There's a lot of people who tried to claim magic exists, but anytime we would try to put it to the test, it would turn out they were just lying. Instead of magic, however, we had vastly superior technology to what's here in Fόdlan."

"Superior technology, hm?" Edelgard hummed in thought. "That's interesting… how did that affect the politics in your world?"

Eve frowned and tapped her chin. "Well, it depends, really… For instance, our extremely fast and widespread information access means that people can spread fake stories to loads of people really quickly. On the other hand, though, it allows people to research those stories and debunk them incredibly easily given that the necessary information is out there. Also, we have these really advanced bombs more powerful than any in Fόdlan, which poison the land they are exploded over. This has caused extremely heightened tensions between all the main world leaders, especially considering the two worldwide wars we had in the past."

As it turned out, both girls enjoyed debating and otherwise talking about politics, and spent increasing amounts of time doing so. Hubert also chimed in from time to time. Ever since Edelgard's birthday, he'd seemed less wary of and more trusting of Eve, something Edelgard was pleased with.

And Edelgard herself? Well, Edelgard found herself thinking about Eve more and more often. The cute maid filled the princess's thoughts an increasingly and frustratingly large amount of time. Edelgard felt happy, relaxed around Eve. She even tended to drop her guard a little when the other girl was in the room, something she'd only just started noticing. This particularly concerned her.

What was happening to her?

A knock on the door shook Edelgard out of her monologuing and she immediately brightened; she knew that knock. "Come in, Eve," she said warmly, and the door opened for her maid to come in carrying a tray with tea, two cups, and two bowls of fresh Brigidan fruit. Edelgard smiled warmly in thanks and took a cup. The cutest little blush stole across her maid's face when she smiled.

In the youngest Hresvelg's eyes, that blush could light up a dark room.

…Now Edelgard's own cheeks felt hot. What _was_ wrong with her!?

"How are your studies coming along, Eve?" Edelgard asked, relaxing at the wonderful taste of the tea. Her maid had really begun excelling in her tea-brewing skills. "I hear you are thus far working on Heal?"

Eve nodded, smiling widely. "Yeah! It's still difficult for me to get a good idea of how to control magic, but I'm slowly improving. I even managed to successfully Heal a bruise I got from sparring! My trainer says I may be able to close up a wound soon."

"Well done," Edelgard praised her friend. "Hearing that you're improving makes me happy."

Eve squirmed, embarrassed but clearly pleased. "O-Oh, stop it," she murmured with a grin, shyly playing with the ponytail she'd tied her beautiful, silky chocolate hair into that day. From there, they began talking about Fόdlan's politics; even the situation with Brigid came up, which seemed to interest Eve in particular.

"And a lot of this bullshit has to do with Crests, right?" she prompted at last.

Edelgard nodded. "Yes, it does," she confirmed carefully, studying her maid's face. The brunette's smile didn't _quite_ reach her eyes, and her left hand shook a little. The white-haired princess had picked up on enough of Eve's tells throughout the (what was it? Seven months now? Eight?) relatively short time they'd known each other to read when Eve was angry about something. "Crests usually determine a person's status in this world. They can either make or break you, so to say. Truly, they are the cause of untold sorrow and misfortune, as well as greed and jealousy."

"If it's not Crests, it'll always be something else, though," Eve sighed, a very slight annoyed growl escaping her lips. "Humans tend to love making up systems that make them more important than other humans. Maybe it's how much money you make, for example, or something as simple as your skin color or which sex you like."

Edelgard paused. "Do you believe that?" she asked, tapping her chin. "I'm not sure about that. I think it's quite clear that it's the goddess's fault."

"Nah, it's just human greed," Eve corrected her, sighing. "I don't care personally whether you have a Crest or not, it doesn't mean squat about who you are as a person. But other people won't see it that way, and it's _not_ because of their Crests. It's because of how things tend to work when you're super rich. Remember? Absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Hm. Edelgard narrowed her eyes a little. Eve certainly didn't care for Fόdlan's system of Crest-bearers gaining power with non-Crest bearers losing it, but she didn't quite match Edelgard's view. Would she or wouldn't she…?

Her Majesty drew in a quiet breath. She _had _to know.

"…Eve, when I become Emperor," she started carefully, "I have a path I must take. You recall me saying such, yes?" The maid sat silently, nodding, her attention fully on Edelgard. Odd. She seemed a bit… nervous, judging by the ever-so-slight fidgeting. "My path involves demolishing the current order and rebuilding our political system so that Crests do not determine one's future."

Eve took a moment to respond, drawing in a short breath of her own. "I believe that's a worthy cause," she said, nodding. "Society's reaction to Crests seem to have hurt so many people."

That gave Edelgard some pause. _Society's reaction to _Crests. Not Crests themselves.

"However," Eve added a moment later, "Something worries me." She opened her mouth, then closed her eyes and shook her head after a moment's pause. "No, Edelgard, I'm sorry, I have to admit something to you. I haven't been perfectly honest with you. I can't keep lying to you anymore… and I need you to know some things you'll have never understood before."

_What? _Eve had been lying to her somehow all this time?

Extremely tense now, the princess ever-so-subtly moved her hand down to the bottom of her thing, where a concealed dagger lay strapped to her leg, beneath her skirt. If need be, she could easily unsheathe it and protect herself… or… (her heart panged at the thought) kill the girl who'd became her best friend. "I don't know what you're talking about, Eve. Speak."

"The truth is, I already knew all about Fόdlan before arriving here. Lots of things from the past ten, twenty years, and especially from the time we'll arrive in the Officer's Academy to five years past that. I've seen or at least heard of all this."

…Whatever Edelgard had been expecting, _that _had certainly not been it.

"Explain yourself," Edelgard demanded curtly, and looking rightfully nervous, her maid did.

~o~

Eve told Her Majesty everything. She described how she knew about Fόdlan and the Officer's Academy Class of 1180 and onward. She also described how the Crests and Hero's Relics were not actually bestowed upon humanity by any choice of the goddess at all, but that Nemesis kidnapped the sleeping goddess, and was then taken in by the Agarthans, who killed her and used her blood for the Crest of Flames and her body for the Sword of the Creator; and the other Crests and Hero's Relics were similarly resulted from the bodies of the slaughtered Children of the Goddess. The whole time, Edelgard's features were etched in disbelief and doubt.

"Prove to me this is true," Edelgard commanded, her voice shaky. She felt tired… exhausted, angry, afraid. Was Eve telling the truth? She certainly wanted to believe so, but the idea of someone from another world knowing everything because it was in a story there… it sounded like the most harebrained fantasy she'd ever heard. She _really_ didn't want to believe Eve worked for Thales somehow, but it looked more and more possible with every word she said. Nemesis, just a common thief? Everything she thought was the actual true… false?

Eve hesitated. "Sometime next year—I'm not certain of the exact date, just the year—Claude von Riegan will be appointed the legitimate heir to the Leicester Alliance."

Edelgard bit her lip. That was at least something _somewhat_ precise that she could verify. But…

"You could have made a guess on that based on the politics surrounding the Leicester Alliance," she rejected. She fixed a stern glare on Eve. "Give me hard, empirical proof that you cannot have arrived at through any means other than seeing the future."

Eve took a shaky breath. "Okay, okay… let's see, in 1180 during the Great Tree Moon, you, Prince Dimitri, and Claude will be attacked by bandits near Remire Village, which is how you'll first meet Byleth Eisner, child of Jeralt Eisner. Their leader's name will be Kostas, and you'll have sent him to attack under the guise of the Flame Emperor. I assume to get Dimitri and Claude killed while making it look as though it wasn't your fault."

Edelgard's breath hitched. She… Eve already knew of her plans? She even knew of the Flame Emperor! Granted, Edelgard had no idea about Claude yet, but having been aware that Dimitri would likely be attending Garreg Mach the same year as her, Edelgard had already been planning on doing something similar to what Eve had just described.

But she hadn't even told anyone yet about those plans, much less about the Flame Emperor, something she herself had only just come up with recently!

"I…" Edelgard's lip quivered. There was no way Eve could have known what her plans were. "I… don't… I can't… You knew about that!?"

Guilt… shame—so many things filled Edelgard suddenly.

A dicey frown fixed itself on Edelgard. "So it was true, then… that was your goal," Eve spat. "Honestly, the thought that you could have had innocent people killed for your goals—people who would care for you—it's disgusting to me. When I first arrived here and saw you, it was really hard to not view you as the reason why countless people will die between 1180 and 1185 should things continue as normal." The obvious distaste in Eve's voice hurt Edelgard; it made her heart clench. "Do you know that both Dimitri and Claude wish the current system about Crests doesn't exist? Do you know they wish for a world where Crests don't determine a person's future as well?"

"But…" Dimitri did? This… Claude did? The future rules of all three of Fόdlan's major ruling powers shared the same ideals about Crests? "But… I… the church…"

"Does indeed have some questionable decisions," Eve admitted, "but is not in any way shape or form the cause of the current system. It is purely the work of the Agarthans—Those Who Slither in the Dark. They orchestrated _everything_. All for the goal of waging war against Fόdlan in 1185, raising Nemesis from the dead to destroy the three countries. And I know they've been manipulating you, too, Edelgard. Your white hair, your two crests." Edelgard's breath hitched some more. "They were the ones who caused that. They're the ones you've allied with for war against the Church of Seiros. And when all is said and done, if Byleth Eisner chooses to join you, yes, you will kill Rhea, but she'll die anyway even if Byleth chooses not to and ends up killing you. She will be heavily wounded in battle against Those Who Slither in the Dark, lose control of her powers, and turn into the Immaculate One, at which point Byleth will be forced to kill her regardless."

She knew. She knew about _everything_. There was no way she was one of Those Who Slither in the Dark. They didn't know about her plans to kill Dimitri. They didn't know about her plans to betray them. And why would they tell her a different story about Nemesis than the one they'd initially told her, that he was an innocent man madly in love with Sothis who Seiros slew in a fit of jealousy?

No, it just didn't make sense. The only way all of this added up was if… was if…

Eve was telling the truth.

Tears, unbidden welled up in Edelgard's eyes. "All of my planning… all of my years of steeling myself for killing those I would likely be close to…" Her voice broke a little. "It will all be for nothing? Rhea dies whether I wage war on the Church or not? Those Who Slither in the Dark are responsible for the Crests?"

"Yes," Eve said firmly. "Waging a war that will kill countless innocent lives, as well as those of your future classmates, is entirely unnecessary. Dimitri and Claude can be easily persuaded to undo the current system of Crests and status, and Rhea will eventually die supposing she joins in battle against Those Who Slither in the Dark."

"I…" Edelgard took a shaky breath. "It's hard for me to admit this, but I believe you. You know things you just couldn't have known unless you speak the truth. If I truly do not have to wage war on the world to unify Fόdlan for my dream to be realized, then.."

Oh.

_Oh, Goddess_.

She didn't have to wage war for her dream. Her dream could be obtained without immense bloodshed. A shocked laugh escaped her throat, causing Eve to blink. For the first time in Edelgard's entire life, her shoulders felt lighter than a feather. The burden she'd carried ever since she'd decided what she must do _disintegrated_.

She choked again, louder, and tears streamed from her violet eyes, her violet eyes that had seen too much for someone so young.

"Edelgard?" Eve asked hesitantly, eyes widening… and her gaze softening.

"I… I feel so…" Edelgard's voice dwindled, lost on what to say as she cried uncontrollably for the first time in years. "P-Please… I need some time to think about this."

Eve smiled and nodded. "Of course, milady," she said happily. She moved to the door with the tray in tow, then paused and turned back to the still-crying princess. "You know, if I'm correct on why you're crying, then it makes me even happier I decided to become your maid. Please, call for me if you ever need someone to talk to about the burden you have had to carry all these years. I will readily listen and give you what help I can."

~o~

Hours later, a knock on Eve's door brought her out of her evening studying for the day. She looked up as the door opened and Edelgard slipped through, eyes red and bloodshot, by a more relaxed smile than any Eve had ever seen on the girl lighting her face up and warming Eve's heart.

"Eve," Edelgard said, moving over to her and wrapping her in a hug. The Earthling's eyes widened as the white-haired girl's eagle necklace hung between them. "Thank you so, so much." She released the hug and stood up straight, taking a shaky breath. "However, Those Who Slither in the Dark still believe I plan to sack the Church of Seiros. If I suddenly stop this plot, or if a strong enough army to defeat them cannot be raised, all will be for naught." She took a breath and steeled her gaze. "Will you help me figure out a way to bring true peace to Fόdlan and beat them?"

And as for Eve, a wide smile broke out on her face and she nodded happily. "Of course, Lady Edelgard."

Everything had gone better than she could've hoped for. Eve's spirits had never been higher since she'd arrived in this world. Perhaps… just maybe Fόdlan could really experience true peace.

But first… first it was time to plan.


	4. Garreg Mach Monastery

**A/N:** Know what's still appreciated? More reviews~! The ones that I've gotten thus far are lovely and I love all of you for giving them.

**War Maid-en – Chapter 4**

**Garreg Mach Monastery**

"Hey, Hubert, can you pass me the sugar?"

Hubert turned his nose up as he did so, handing a little glass shaker filled with sugar to Eve distastefully. "You and your sweets," he sniffed, cutting up a sausage link into even slices. "I will never understand it. Someone sick from eating so much sugar will never be able to serve Lady Edelgard properly."

Eve giggled and shook some of the delicious white powder onto her blueberry pancakes. "And yet despite having been doing this for the past two years," she returned easily, stuffing her face with a forkful of pancake, "I am still capable of serving my… M-Mistress just fine."

The brunette's cheeks went pink.

Eve had started calling Edelgard that because Lord Arundel had not been a fan of how close the maid and the princess were getting, and had "requested" Eve refer to the young woman far less casually. Eventually, she had gotten somewhat used to it, though at first it had been (and admittedly still was, to a lesser extent) highly embarrassing for someone growing up in a society where the word was used… well, _differently_. She'd asked whether she could just refer to Edelgard as _Lady_ Edelgard, but Lord Arundel had shot that offer down, since Mistress was more _proper_ for a maid to a royal. "In fact, I have been not only serving her just fine, I have been improving quite well in my weaponry and magic."

Hubert frowned at her, huffed, and said nothing, returning to his meal.

Eve considered that a victory.

Giggles from behind her caused Eve to look over her shoulder, spying Dorothea there, a breakfast tray in hand. Even in the mornings she looked beautiful and fashionable; it was so unfair! "You and Hubie are always entertaining, Eve," the girl sang, smirking and sitting down next to the maid. She winked. "You argue like an old married couple."

Eve stared at her, chewing slowly, then frowned. "While I like guys as well as girls, Hubert's just a friend."

That seemed to interest Dorothea immensely, and Eve immediately regretted revealing that information. "Oho…?" she sang as she sipped her water and stabbed some potatoes onto her fork. "You like girls, you say? So tell me, when I saw you staring at Edie the other day, were you imagining how her lips would feel on yours~?"

Eve, who had just been about to swallow another bite of pancakes, choked and coughed. When she managed to actually properly swallow, her cheeks were completely flushed. "I-I… T-That's…"

"So, you _do_ like her, then~!" Dorothea giggled. Eve glared at her and pouted, but she didn't stop.

Eve sputtered for a couple moments, Hubert just sighing at her, and at last hung her head. It wasn't like Dorothea, of all people, would just let it go, after all. "J-Just… please don't tell her, okay? If she's going to find out, I want it to be from me."

"If who is going to be finding what?" asked the voice of Petra, followed by her and Caspar sitting down in a couple of seats next to Hubert, who looked increasingly annoyed with the way things were going.

After eating some of her own breakfast, Dorothea replied with a knowing smile to Eve, "Oh, nothing, Eve here is just being an adorable cutie. That's all~!"

Furiously stuffing her face with food so as to not have to respond to anything, Eve could only be thankful for the fact that the songstress at least had _some_ tact. Meanwhile, Caspar just linked his fingers together and cracked them, obviously up and ready. "Well, whatever," he said, uninterested in the conversation. He probably thought it to be girl talk. He awkwardly looked at Petra for a moment, biting his lip, then glanced at Eve and Hubert. "So, isn't Edelgard supposed to be back from that little trip today?"

"That is correct," Hubert confirmed with a curt nod and a thin frown. "Lady Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude should be returning this afternoon."

"Aw, man, I'm so jealous!" Caspar groaned, sighing forlornly at his meal as he dug in. "I wish I could've gotten to go! I wonder if they beat up anyone while they were out there in the country? Man, I bet they had so much _fun_ while we got stuck in self-study… Must be nice to be the House Leaders."

"Mistress has her own problems to take care of as a result of that," Eve pointed out, cheeks once more tinging pink at having to say the title.

Petra nodded, smiling. "I am having no doubts on that, Eve!" she agreed. "Which is why we all must work our hardest!"

"That's the spirit, Petra!" Dorothea giggled. "We need to put our backs into it so she won't be breaking hers!"

Petra tilted her head and tapped her finger to her chin in confusion. "Why would Edelgard be breaking her back?"

Before any further words could be said, someone walking by whispered to their friend, "The House Leaders are back! And they're with Captain Jeralt, the Blade Breaker! Can you believe it?"

Caspar's eyes widened. "Did they just say _Jeralt_ the Blade Breaker?" he repeated dumbly, a grin on his face. "Whoa! They're early, and I wonder where they found him!? I thought he disappeared years ago in that big old fire!"

"I've heard rumors of an extremely strong mercenary resembling him traveling the three kingdoms," Eve supplied, finishing up her pancakes. "Perhaps that was him, and they ran across him on their excursion. Knowing Alois, he likely insisted for Jeralt to come back to the Monastery with him."

Dorothea hummed in thought. "That sounds like it could be true," she said with interest. "Do you think he'll be Captain of the Knights of Seiros again?"

"They already have a Captain," Caspar pointed out with a mouthful of food. Hubert gave him a disgusted _look_. "I bet he'll just be helping them out if he's really back." Throughout all of this, Eve just rolled her eyes at Hubert while sipping her juice.

"_Must_ you talk with your mouth full?" Hubert grimaced. "If you must eat near me, I would appreciate you _not_ causing yourself to look like a pig at a trough."

Unperturbed, Caspar swallowed and stuck another forkful in his mouth. "You sure are cold, Hubert."

Having finished her juice, Eve set the glass on her empty plate, grabbed her plate, and stood up. "Well, I should go find Mistress Edelgard," she said with a smile, though she still blushed again. "I am sure she'll need help unpacking." The truth was she wanted to see Byleth for herself, and find out which House they would choose (as well as whether they'd be a guy or a girl). Depending on which House it was, her and Edelgard's plans could be affected badly.

The first thing they'd done was ensure that the opening sequence of the games happened by locating Kostas and, a month before the House Leaders' little excursion, using Edelgard's Flame Emperor disguise to drop a hint to him that the Leaders' camp would have gold, claiming that in return for the tip, they'd require his services. Had that failed and had Kostas not attacked, Edelgard would tell Alois that she'd heard credible rumors Jeralt resided in Remire Village. In fact, the little tidbit Eve had told Caspar had been insurance on the latter happening.

Now, then, according to what Eve remembered, on the day Byleth would arrive, Edelgard would wait in the Reception Hall. Thusly, the maid dutifully brought her dishes to the lunch ladies, the other Black Eagles leaving her behind a chorus of "See you later's!" and the like. This done, she headed out the east door of the mess hall towards the Reception Hall.

It felt so _odd_ being in Garreg Mach Monastery, seeing all the sights from the game brought to life in vivid, vibrant color. Lots of things had been odd since coming here, to be fair; being in the presence of the game's central antagonist for most of the routes (or one of said antagonists, anyway); gaining a girl's body (although this was definitely a _fantastic_ type of odd); and basically just not living on Earth anymore.

Despite this oddness, however, Eve enjoyed her time in Fόdlan. She'd made good memories with Edelgard and even Hubert, as much as she and the other magic-user bickered. She'd enjoyed learning magic, as difficult as doing so had been at first. She'd even realized that she'd been falling in love.

Not that Edelgard would ever return her feelings, of course. She'd likely want to spend her life with Byleth, or one of the other students at the Monastery.

Eve hurried her pace to leave behind those nasty thoughts. The maid found the Reception Hall and swept inside, scanning it for Edelgard; she found the girl standing beside some tables that lined the walls. The silver-haired beauty brightened up upon seeing her and smiled.

"Eve, over here," she said, cheeks oddly pink. Eve, for one out of her maid outfit and dressed in normal student attire, wondered if it was because of the hike back to the Monastery. Did the princess need a glass of water?

Eve smiled back, then lowered her voice upon reaching her Mistress's side. Upon glancing around and making sure nobody else was within earshot, she allowed herself to use Edelgard's name. "Hello, Edelgard," she greeted warmly. "Did everything go well?"

She nodded. "Kostas came as planned. No one was seriously injured, though a few Vulneraries were necessary. Jeralt and Byleth were right where you said they'd be. Byleth…" Her gaze went lost in thought. "Her movements were so graceful. She saved my life. Kostas suddenly charged at me when his gang was defeated, and I didn't realize it until it was almost too late, but suddenly she jumped in and saved my life by disarming him and kicking him aside. He did get away, however."

_She_… Eve raised her eyebrows in interest. So, then, it was a female Byleth in this version of events.

"Do you know which House she'll be teaching in?"

Edelgard shook her head. "I'm supposed to wait for her here and talk to her about our House, as well as explain more about any students she's interested in and such. She'll decide after she's spoken with all the House Leaders, apparently."

Eve just nodded and stretched. "So, then, we wait here until she comes by?"

"That was my plan," Edelgard chuckled. "I assume breakfast has just about ended and everyone will be headed to the classrooms soon?"

"Yep," Eve nodded. "Or it will be in about ten or so minutes, anyway."

While waiting for Byleth, Eve and Edelgard chatted and caught up with each other on the past few days. Some of the other students at the academy, also known as the game's NPCs, occasionally walked by and greeted them. About fifteen minutes later, the door at the other end of the Hall opened, and a stunning young woman who could only be Byleth Eisner walked through.

She had absolutely gorgeous blue eyes on an unblemished heart-shaped face framed with straight, smooth blue hair. She held herself confidently as she looked around the Hall, face not showing any expressions. There was something about her neutral attitude that seemed strangely comforting, however. She felt approachable, someone you could talk casually with. Her outfit, on the other hand, was _something else_. It was gorgeous, and though Eve couldn't even begin to describe it in words, it made her face light up pink, especially those _stockings_.

Was it just Eve or did the room feel warm?

_She is SO HOOOOT,_ both Eve and Edelgard whimpered internally, unaware that the other had the same thoughts. Although Eve did not notice it, Edelgard's eyes flicked from her maid to her new Professor uncertainly. Byleth, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow at the maid.

"Hello, Professor," Edelgard greeted warmly as the gorgeous young woman walked up to her. "While I'm a little disappointed that you won't be lending your services to the Empire, I'm pleased you'll be teaching us here at the Academy. I am sure that with your skills, we will go far."

Unnoticed by either of the students, Byleth's cheeks tinged just a _hair_ pink. "Thank you. I will do my best," she said evenly.

"Now then, as you no doubt were told, there are three Houses here at the Officer's Academy," the princess explained, smiling. "I am the House Leader of the Black Eagles House. It is for students hailing from the Adrestian Empire or lands affiliated with it." She listed the most prominent members of the House—herself, Eve, Hubert, Dorothea, Caspar, Bernadetta, Ferdinand, Linhardt, Petra, and a girl that Eve had not seen in the game named Catia.

Byleth went down through the students, asking curiously about them. When she reached Eve, Edelgard smiled warmly.

"Eve is my personal maid," she explained. "She is an Other Worlder who wound up in the capitol of the Empire before Hubert and I found her. She's very kind and caring, as well as a hard worker. She does tend to get a little blushy around other girls, though."

Eve's face went rosy. "M-Mistress!" she whined, pouting.

A miniscule smile turned Byleth's lips upwards.

Upon reaching Catia, Edelgard explained, "Ah, Catia Ahearn. She's an odd one. She's the royal retainer of Petra. It's a bit of an odd situation, apparently, as normally the Macneary family would not have spared much for one due to lack of funds. However, as far as I'm aware, Petra's grandfather witnessed Catia protecting someone from some thugs and was impressed enough to hire her. She's even more blushy around other girls than Eve, and I've seen her almost overheat once from Dorothea's flirting. She likes challenging boys to fights to try and prove she's stronger than them."

Byleth nodded. "Thank you, Edelgard," she said, and Edelgard's cheeks tinged pink a bit.

"You're welcome. I hope you choose the Black Eagles; we could benefit greatly from your presence. Please, feel free to mingle with the students in our classroom if you want to get to know them personally."

"I will," Byleth's simple reply followed. "I will see you later, Edelgard and Eve."

"See ya!" Eve chirped as Byleth left the Reception Hall, headed towards the classrooms. She then stretched and turned to Edelgard. "Well, do you want to go get your stuff unpacked now that that's done?"

"That sounds like a good idea," Edelgard agreed.

Upon finishing with all the unpacking and then rejoining the other Black Eagles in their classroom, they were pleased to hear surprised chatter that Byleth chose the Black Eagles. Phase one of the plan was complete.

Now Eve just hoped the rest of it would go smoothly as well.

~o~

**OMAKE: Byleth Eisner, the (****Ridiculously Gay)**** Ashen Demon**

"OH MY GOD OH MY GOD DID YOU SEE HOW CUTE THEY ARE, SOTHIS!? WHY ARE ALL OF THE GIRLS IN THIS ACADEMY SO _CUTE!?_"

"Byleth… if you don't stop shaking me right now… I WILL FORCIBLY WAKE YOU UP MYSELF."


	5. Ancient Secrets

**A/N****:** And betcha didn't think I'd post this update. I usually don't get past the fourth chapter of these stories after all... but here it is! As always, reviews are appreciated! You guys' have been really, really awesome so far!

**War Maid-en – Chapter 5**

**Ancient Secrets**

Rapping her fist against the hard, dark wood of the dormitory door, Eve tapped her foot against the stone walkway. "Bernie, if you don't come out now, we're going to be late for class," she told the resident introvert from the outside.

"E-Eve…" Bernadetta von Varley stammered from the other side of the closed and locked door. "Please, g-go away… I don't w-want to come to class t-today."

"We need to be on time to make a good impression on our new Professor, Bernie. Come on, let's go together. I'll keep you safe on the way there, I promise."

A pause resounded, then the girl squeaked out a weak little, "Uh-uh."

"What if I bake you some cake this evening?"

"…Red velvet?" the purple-haired smol girl asked in an equally small, though somewhat-hopeful voice.

Eve nodded before realizing Bernie wouldn't be able to see her nod through the door. "If that's what you want, sure," she said warmly. "We'll eat it together. How does that sound?"

"…O-Okay…" The door creaked open a little and Bernie poked her head out, blushing and looking at the ground. "M-Maybe I can come out f-for just an hour or t-two. You can g-go ahead… I'll be there in a bit."

"I can do that," the maid agreed with a nod, "or I can make sure you're not just lying to get me to leave and walk with you, instead." She chuckled as Bernie pouted at her and sighed before returning in the room, and emerging with a backpack.

"You're not going to go, are you?" Bernie groaned, looking exhausted as they headed off towards the training ground to take a right. "Oh, now we might both be late to class… I'm s-so useless and horrible… I just g-get in your way…"

"Nonsense," Eve told her, poking her cheek, causing the girl to jump and yelp a little. "I'm choosing to do this for you myself. If anything, _I'm_ getting in my own way. Besides, you're neither useless nor horrible." Her cheeks tinged a little rosier. "In fact, you're really c-cute." God, she always felt so embarrassed saying that to other girls. "And you're the best sniper in the class. Hell, you're even better than a lot of the Golden Deer snipers. You're invaluable to us."

"Y-You think so?" Bernie asked shyly, chewing her lip. Eve nodded happily, giving the girl a reassuring smile.

"I definitely do," she said with complete honesty.

"…You're always s-so h-honest," Bernie said shakily. "I d-don't deserve anything you said… I don't deserve s-such kindness…"

Eve frowned at her sternly. "Of course you do, Bernadetta. You've done nothing to not deserve it. You're not an asshole, not a bigot. You're a good person. The voices in your head telling you that you don't deserve kindness? Punch them. Or shoot them with an arrow, if you prefer. They're lying to you, Bernie."

"I… I…" Bernie's lip quivered and her eyes watered, and before Eve could quite expect it, the smaller girl burst into tears and ran off ahead of her, wailing, _"I don't dese-herve yo-hoo!"_

Eve sighed and rubbed her head. Well, Bernie had at least managed to hold a conversation with her before running off. That was starters?

…God, she wished this world had therapists. Or that she knew how to treat trauma.

_C-Rank Support Achieved!_

~o~

Byleth Eisner had no idea what she was doing.

Things were happening way too quickly for her tastes. First, she gets roped into helping a bunch of students around her age fight off a group of bandits. Just another Tuesday. Finding out the green-haired gremlin who haunts her dreams has time-manipulation powers, saving Byleth from certain death? Less fine, but still okay. Finding out her father wasn't always a mercenary and getting roped into returning to the Monastery he used to be a captain of a knight squad at? _Less_ fine, mostly since it meant they wouldn't get paid for the next job they were going to.

Forced to be a professor at said Monastery because a certain _someone _had apparently recommended her, regardless of the fact that she had no former teaching experience or education at all?

Although she did not understand how to express it, the young woman was in full-blown _panic_ mode.

_Especially because all these girls in her class were so cute, oh goddess!_

(Floating with an unimpressed frown beside her, Sothis facepalmed wearily.)

In any case, weariness rose up in Byleth's head just looking at her class, though her face remained as passive as ever.

Linhardt had conked out on his desk; hair disheveled, drool slipping out of the corner of his mouth, eyelids relaxed shut, and face half-buried in his arms. He didn't even try to hide his slumber. Meanwhile, Bernadetta buried her face in a book, kept nervously glancing at her other classmates and then the door, and tried to make herself as small as physically possible. Her distress was so tangible you could cut it with a knife. Dorothea played with her hair idly, hummed a little showtune, and—when she caught Byleth glancing at her—gave her a flirty wink and blew her a kiss, sending the poor bisexual girl's heart racing like her father's horse. Catia kept stealing glances at Petra and quickly looking away with a blush and a squirm whenever the oblivious girl noticed. Petra, for her part, sat ready and attentive, like Edelgard and Eve, though both the empress-to-be and maid kept getting distracted by Ferdinand, who seemed to be attempting to lean across Eve to challenge Edelgard to a duel. Hubert gave Ferdinand an icy glare. Caspar kept resetting his shoulder's position, tapping his finger on his desk, and cracking his back.

_This. This is what she had to deal with._

"Hello, class," she said neutrally. The students had the decency to stop what they were doing and pay attention to her, except for Linhardt, who had to be woken by Caspar pulling his ear. Bernadetta nervously peeked at Byleth from over the top of her book, tensing like a rabbit in front of a hunter. "Let's take a roll call."

They went down one by one through the class. Byleth could barely hear anything from Bernadetta when they reached her except for a small, terrified squeak, but she accepted it anyway.

She marked all of the class as present and nodded, taking a short breath before continuing, "Alright, let's start off with all of you writing down a list for me to see what weapons or magic fields you have strengths in, and which ones you do not. If you could also tell me what class you are currently and what you would prefer to work towards, as well as any other important information such as Crests, that would be good."

They all did as Byleth requested after she passed some paper around. She studied the papers for a while, committing the class's strong suits and weak areas to memory. Nodding to herself, the ex-merc felt a little less unsure of herself. At least now she knew what areas to train her students in.

"Alright, then, class," she said, a rare smile breaking out. "For our first assignment… we are going fishing."

The room was so silent you could hear a gnat's fart.

"…What?" Edelgard said at last, dumbfounded.

~o~

The class stared. All of Caspar's boundless energy took a break for a moment. Linhardt felt so engaged the thought of sleep didn't cross his mind even once. This was beautiful. This was exotic. This was…

Byleth thrust the spear into the water and pulled it back with a triumphant _yank _and stood up, knees sore from bending over on them upon the pier.

"…Okay, I'll admit it," Ferdinand managed. "I'm impressed."

Byleth, a blank look etched on her face, nodded as she held up the Queen Loach wriggling in its death throes, impaled on the blade of its spear. "Dinner," she intoned, and promptly stuck the giant fish against the ground and stomped on its head. It stopped wriggling.

Bernadetta jumped, stunned out of her enraptured silence. "P-P-Professor!" she cried. "You didn't h-have to k-kill it like that!"

Byleth tilted her head. "It was a powerful enough blow that it died instantly," she replied evenly. "I put it out of its misery as painlessly as I could."

"You are reminding me of some of the fishermen back home in Brigid!" Petra declared excitedly. "They were having the same skill as you!"

The blue-haired girl shrugged and started walking to the kitchens, picking up a bucket as she went and sliding the fish off of the bloodied weapon on its side. The huge marine creature flopped to the bottom on top of a couple others. "Come. With this Queen Loach and the other two I killed, there should be enough for all of us to have dinner. Who knows how to cook fish?"

Petra and Catia both raised their hands, as well as Eve. "I do, Professor Eisner," they all said.

She nodded. "Eve, help me cook." She tilted her head and then smiled. "And you all mentioned that we should be equals, yes? Then call me Byleth."

"Uh…" Eve nodded dumbly. "Sure, Profe... Byleth."

Byleth led the way to the kitchens, her step a little lighter. Eve, meanwhile, unbeknownst to the ex-merc, internally facepalmed. _Oh, god, the fanon is true._ She had a feeling this was going to be an… interesting year.

~o~

In a dark city filled with strange architecture, otherworldly and futuristic, a pale-faced old man paced furiously.

"Is the new portal ready?" growled a man with sharp facial contours, snow-white hair and eyebrows, and curious black earrings, as well as advanced, shiny black armor. "This one cannot fail."

"Nearly, sir," the other pale-faced man sitting at the chair and typing away on a computer replied. "I am attempting to calculate the proper coordinates now. It is difficult, however. The multiverse is quite large and expansive, and even a single mistake could throw us off entirely. However, with every bug discovered in the programming, we grow one step closer to the Reaper."

"I see…" the leader of the Agarthans murmured, staring at the weapon in his hand. "The Church's best-kept secret… there are few who still remember it. Perhaps that damned archbishop herself does not even remember. After a millennium of our research, it is within our grasp, I can feel it…"

"Sir, should I proceed with another attempt? The calculations should be finished in the morning."

Thales closed his eyes for a moment and then nodded. "Do it as soon as it is possible. Our God cannot be kept waiting any longer than he must. The salvation of our people from the hated humans and the Children of the Goddess must not be delayed. When it is complete, we will at long last take back the land that should have rightfully been ours."

He left the computation room with a sweep of his cloak, stepping through the dark halls of the underground city with ease. It had been a while since he had visited it… Perhaps he should pay his respects.

The Agarthan headed towards a largely concealed alcove towards the back of the city, shrouded in darkness and only visible to him due to the fact that his kind's eyes had long since evolved to see well in extremely low levels of light. He stepped through the alcove and walked down a short, stony passage, emerging in a room unlike most others in the city. Perpetually lit with magic candelabras which cast an orange glow around the room, shadows flickered in several areas where the light was not strong enough to reach. Thales took a moment to allow his sight to adjust, and then walked forward upon carefully carved stone tiles, painted with a ribbon of black.

Pillars, beginning to crumble due to the hands of time, held up a curved ceiling some thirty feet above Thales's head, and a cool breeze flowed through the chamber. A kind of mystic feeling, one sure to grant a creep of adrenaline deep within the veins of a new visitor, hung in the room. On the opposite end of the hall from the entrance, a set of four stairs lifted up a circle of stone, upon which an onyx coffin sat, black as night. The box had not seen the light of day for over a millennium—not since the age of the Goddess.

Thales walked towards the coffin and pushed the lid off of it with ease. The light in the room dimmed. An ancient coldness swept through the air.

"Our Father," Thales said quietly, gazing into the coffin.

A void gazed back—empty and endless.

"Soon, you shall return to us. This I promise."

He continued gazing into the void for some time. It was only when he slid the coffin's lid shut again with an echo of stone grating against stone that the torch light in the room returned to its normal brightness.

The next morning, in the Kingdom of Faerghus, another glowing hole opened up in the sky.


End file.
